


girls like girls like boys do

by xx_bittersweet_merlin



Series: naruto wlw fics [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: F/F, Happy Ending, Love Confessions, Useless Lesbians, local soft butch confesses to her femme gf
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-01-16
Packaged: 2019-02-28 12:58:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13271919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xx_bittersweet_merlin/pseuds/xx_bittersweet_merlin
Summary: Sakura's been waiting for this chance for a long time. It's finally time to tell Ino how she feels, with one of the cheesiest romantic gestures she can think of. And definitely not run away right after she says I love you. Fortunately Ino's used to her shenanigans, even if she's just as nervous.





	1. Sakura's Part

Sakura wondered, for approximately the eleventh time that afternoon, whether or not it would be better to just give up and go home.

She’d never felt this kind of nervous before. Not even with Sasuke. It had somehow been easier when she was younger; she’d still had that childlike ability to just bluster on through embarrassment that twelve-year-olds seemed to possess. Or maybe it was just naivety. Obliviousness.

She was more self-aware now. Aware of every little way it could go wrong, every way it could negatively change her life, every small interaction that wouldn’t be the same if it went wrong. Every ounce of embarrassment and bashfulness she’d feel. She straightened her jacket.

The student of Tsunade was no baby. She could do this. Her teacher had told her to make her proud. She was a proud kunoichi who couldn’t be tripped up by something as simple as giving her crush flowers. She could do this.

She straightened her jacket again and tucked a stray strand of hair back behind her ear. She’d spent half an hour in front of her mirror worrying over how to arrange it. She didn’t want to do anything too overly fancy- she’d tried a bun before feeling like she was copying TenTen. She’d settled on tying most of it in a plain ponytail and leaving two strands to frame her face. Simple, plainly pretty, a compliment to the care Ino put into her own.

She knew Ino better than anyone- something she often took pride in- and knew that, deep down, even if the blonde wouldn’t admit it and purposefully made her own vanity into a joke sometimes so people wouldn’t notice- she wanted someone who made her feel pretty. Sakura knew it was a little silly, but she’d put care into her outfit and tried not to look like she would distract from that prettiness at all. It wasn’t that she felt like she couldn’t wear something girly or that Ino would be mad. Her own tastes had simply veered away from the more flashy components of feminine fashion and she wanted to look like she complimented how Ino liked to look.

Convoluted and weird and maybe silly, she knew, but she couldn’t decipher half of what she felt nowadays anyway.

She saw other…couples…out and about, sometimes. Sometimes one of them looked more feminine than the other. Sakura didn’t know if dressing more masculine all the time would suit her, but part of her was attracted to the idea.

 _What am I gonna say?_ She worried her lip between her teeth and swallowed when she saw the end of the street getting closer and closer. She still had time to turn back. To just let things be normal, as usual; Ino would probably show up at the hospital the next morning complaining about all the flowers she’d gotten and all the confessions she’d received. She’d elbow Sakura with a roll of her eyes and make a joke about men. Ask Karin if she’d gotten any.

Sakura’s face heated as she imagined how awkward their shifts together would be if Ino rejected her. She imagined a look of disgust on her friend’s face and paused mid-step, gulping and trying to calm herself before her sweaty palms ruined the tissue paper wrapped around the base of the bouquet in her hands. They were roses. Ino had often loudly stated how overdone and cliché roses were, and how lazy any men who gave her roses had to be, and she was right- roses _were_ overdone and cliché- but Ino had also once admitted to Sakura, one night while they both lounged in the hot springs, with a quiet and maybe a sad look in her eye- that she wished sometimes that someone _would_ do cliché, overdone things for her like in the movies. Getting a bouquet of roses may have been overdone, but every woman got at least one.

She imagined Ino saying she returned her feelings. Smiling and flinging herself into Sakura’s waiting arms. Or maybe giving her a smirk and calling her Forehead and strutting out into the street with a demand that Sakura take her out for dinner. That sounded like Ino.

 _I can do it,_ Sakura told herself, resuming her walk towards Ino’s apartment. She didn’t want to wait and let things go back to normal. She didn’t want to hear a week from now that Ino had accepted some random boy’s confession when Sakura had the chance to confess within her grasp. Sakura could offer her everything a man could- she could give Ino _more_ than any man could. Their relationship had always been uniquely…special. Surely Ino saw it too.

 _I love you,_ she practiced in her head the same way she had for an hour in front of her mirror. She smoothed a hand down her skirt and fixed a wrinkle in her shorts. The shirt she’d chosen was nicer than her usual, followed up by a jacket Naruto had given her to “look badass.” It was a deep red leather with her family circle on the back and multiple zipper pockets on the arms. Twiddling with the fringe on one of the wrists, she went over what she’d say in her head. _No, that’s too forward, what if I scare her off?_

But it was true. She _loved_ Ino. Ino had been there when Sasuke left the first time, with a friendlier tinge on their rivalry that kept Sakura going and pushed her harder. After the war, she had never let Sakura go sulk in her apartment alone when Naruto and Sasuke ran off for their very own vacation- which she understood and approved of, but still felt left behind by. Whether it was taking her out for drinks or trivia night with Team Ten or sitting on her couch watching stupid dramas, Ino was always there for her. At first, Sakura had thought her feelings were from them finally rekindling the level of friendship they’d had as children…and at first, they were.

She glanced up at Ino’s apartment building and gulped again. Slowly, she began climbing the steps towards Ino’s door.

But then…then she’d started noticing things. How pretty Ino truly was. The way her eyes sparkled after a mission done right. The way her smile stretched wide when Choji brought her favorite flowers for her birthday. The way she laughed when Sakura had dropped a tub of melted ice cream they’d left out too long and splattered it all over her face. The way beads of sweat shined on her skin when she stretched after a hard training session. The way all her taunts to Sakura were playful now, instead of scornful. She still made Sakura so _mad_ sometimes, but she never made her want to leave.

 _I know I’m not a boy, but I can love you just as much_.

She stopped in front of the door and took a shallow breath. Her heart was beating so fast she felt like she could hear it.

She raised her hand and rung the doorbell.

“Coming!” Ino’s voice called from somewhere within.

 _Just say it,_ Sakura told herself, trying to ignore how her stomach was doing somersaults. She was a grown woman now, a woman whose strength had been noted by the First Hokage himself, who’d faced down monsters with nothing but her bare hands. Surely romance wasn’t that formidable.

The door swung open, startling her. Ino’s smiling face appeared. “Wha-”

“H-Happy Valentine’s Day,” Sakura blurted out, shoving the bouquet forward and speaking rather quickly. It was large enough that when she averted her eyes to the ground she couldn’t see any of Ino’s face. “I…I love you. Please accept these as a- a token of my feelings!”

Too panicked to look for Ino's reaction, she pushed the flowers into her friend's grasp and turned on her heel, practically flying down the steps and running away.


	2. Ino's Part

Ino wondered, for approximately the twelfth time that afternoon, whether or not she should take flowers to Sakura’s place or not.

She’d never felt this way about anyone before, not even Sasuke. When she was younger she’d been so convinced she like boys and only boys, after all, that was just what girls did, didn’t it? Girls didn’t like _other_ girls- liking girls was what boys did. Maybe that was just her naivety.

She was more mature now. Aware that love was more than shallow crushes and giggling whenever someone looked her way. Aware of every time Sakura smiled at her, or told her she’d done a good job, or helped her. Aware of every ounce of bashfulness she felt when her friend showed her love.

She’d _wanted_ to confess- it was Valentines’ Day, the day of love- but her unsureness and insecurity held her back. Ino put on a confident face for everyone else- and it wasn’t entirely fake most of the time- but she didn’t want to mess up what she had with Sakura.

Ino glanced out the window and huffed at her own cowardice, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She’d subconsciously dressed up for the holiday, as she’d always done, as she’d always wanted to look nice for anyone who confessed to her. Her makeup was done; her hair was impeccable. Here she was, looking good for no one; or at least no one she wanted around. Several men had brought her flowers or chocolates, but they weren’t the one she wanted.

She knew Sakura better than anyone- something she often took pride in- and knew, deep down, that Sakura wouldn’t be angry at her or disgusted with her if she _did_ confess…or at least, she wouldn’t show it outwardly. She would put on an awkward smile, deflect Ino’s advances, and say it was fine when it wasn’t. She would feel bad for being unable to return Ino’s feelings when they had to spend so much time together and cared about each other so much. Sakura was more than she deserved, Ino thought- strong, smart, caring, more than willing to punt someone through a wall for insulting one of her friends; Ino loved being around her.

Her feelings were hard to understand sometimes since she’d realized she was in love with Sakura, the girl with the big forehead, but she thought that love was like that anyway.

She saw other couples in the village. Sometimes she pictured Sakura and herself walking around hand-in-hand the way they did. Often she found herself daydreaming, wishing they were as open and happy, as together, as in love.

 _What would I even say?_ She thought with a small pout. How would she articulate everything she felt into a short enough conversation that Sakura could understand it without having to listen to Ino rant for an hour? Ino was an intelligent woman, but sometimes she lacked the skill to say what she was feeling in a concise way. Sakura had probably already gotten many confessions herself. She would probably show up at the hospital tomorrow, ready to joke about it.

Her face went up in flames as she imagined how awkward their shifts would be if Ino went, confessed, and got rejected. Maybe it would just take a while to get past it. Maybe then everything would go back to normal. Maybe Sakura would return her feelings. She allowed herself a brief fantasy, imagining her best friend showing up on her doorstep, roses in hand, knowing Ino secretly wanted that cliché gesture, because she always listened to what Ino said. That would be the perfect Valentine’s, she thought, even if it was never going to happen. If Sakura did like her, Ino couldn’t tell. It was hard to discern a kunoichi’s true feelings. Sakura was always happy to see her, unless they were in the midst of some petty argument.

She imagined Sakura greeting her with a smile that only grew warmer when Ino told her how she felt, opening her arms for Ino to step into. She imagined their relationship not changing- she didn’t want it to- and the way she’d still react to Ino calling her Forehead with an adorable pout.

 _If only I were a little bit braver,_ Ino thought, a little dejectedly. She fiddled with the spatula in her hand and glanced over at her oven to make sure her cookies weren’t burning. She had no idea why she was making them, considering she was too chicken to take them to Sakura. She’d probably accepted someone’s confession by now. The thought stung and made Ino’s stomach flip. She could give Sakura so much _more_ than anyone else- their relationship had always been special like that.

 _I love you,_ she thought of saying in her head, thought of Sakura’s pretty green eyes growing wide with surprise. She thought of the rosy blush that would spread across her skin. Of the way she would smile. Ino smoothed out the purple dress she wore adorned with a flower pattern and sighed. _Maybe that’s too forward? What if I seem too forward? It’s not like we’ve even gone on a date!_ Even if she desperately wanted to. But she probably shouldn’t start off with I love you right off the bat. Or maybe she should.

Because it was true. She loved Sakura. She’d rekindled their friendship after Sasuke left Konoha the first time, taunting her with just enough softness to keep her going. After the war they’d spent much of their free time together, especially after Naruto and Sasuke disappeared for a vacation. Ino was happy for them, even if at the time she hadn’t been one hundred percent over Sasuke. But the more time she spent with Sakura, the more she realized she was in love. They could do something as small and simple as sit on the couch watching television and eating ice cream, and Ino would feel a sense of contentment and happiness curl in her chest.

She glanced at the door to her apartment and sighed. Part of her was still wishing Sakura had come during the day to give her a Valentine.

She still remembered when she’d truly started to _notice_ Sakura. She was beautiful, even if some people passed her by for “prettier” girls. Her smile could set Ino at ease and make her believe that everything was going to be all right. When she was embarrassed she turned a rosy pink and pouted, like the time she’d dropped an ice cream tub and gotten it all over her face. Training was always fun because Ino got to see just how _strong_ she was. She remembered being in awe when she saw Sakura unleash her full strength during the war. She still pissed her off sometimes, but they always made up.

_I know I’m not a boy, but I can love you just as much as any of them._

The oven dinged. Ino sighed again and took her heart-shaped cookies out, using the spatula to take them off and place them onto a sheet to cool.

The doorbell rung and made her jump.

“Coming!” she called, setting her spatula and oven mitt down.

She walked over to her apartment door and didn’t bother peeking through the peephole. It was probably another boy holding a box of chocolates or bouquet to give her that she would either toss out or put in the stack she had going, which was getting to be out of control.

She swung the door open and smiled in a friendly way. “Wha-”

“H-Happy Valentine’s Day,” Sakura, to Ino’s shock, exclaimed, shoving a bouquet of roses at her. She looked away and at the ground, turning beet red in the face, hiding from Ino’s gaze. “I…I love you. Please accept these as a- a token of my feelings!”

She pushed the flowers into Ino’s hands and turned and flew down the steps. Ino gaped after her, in disbelief at what had happened.

 _N…no way,_ she thought, feeling lightheaded. _Did Sakura just…?_

She looked down at the bouquet as if it were proof that Sakura had actually just been there.

 _She loves me,_ Ino thought, and then it hit her all at once. “She loves me!” she squealed, jumping up and down in her house slippers. “She loves me! She loves me! She _loves_ me!”

She turned and dashed back into her home, not even closing the door. Keeping the bouquet in one arm, she shoveled her still warm cookies into the heart-shaped red box she’d bought the day previous as fast as she could. The bow she tied around it was a little sloppy, but she didn’t care.

She darted back outside, leaving the door open, still in her house shoes, and ran after Sakura’s chakra.

 _She loves me!_ she thought giddily as she ran through the street, not stopping until the other woman’s back was in her sights, her pink hair standing out like a beacon. “Sakura!”

Sakura paused and whirled around, face caught between surprise, hope, and vague dismay. Ino tried to skid to a stop and nearly crashed into her, making both of them flail for balance before she straightened up and beamed. “I, I accept your Valentine,” she panted, flushed and out of breath. “I…I love you too!”

Sakura’s eyes went wide and a hopeful expression landed on her face. “R-really?”

“Y- yes! Please accept these,” Ino stammered, holding out the box. Sakura took it with both hands, looking halfway ready to cry, and looked up at her with a grateful look. “As a token of my feelings.”

A slow grin worked its way across Sakura’s face. “I accept,” she laughed, the sound like music to Ino’s ears. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Ino.”

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Sakura,” Ino breathed, voice barely above a hushed whisper. She leaned into Sakura’s waiting arms and burrowed her face into the warmth of the other woman’s neck, closing her eyes and letting herself bask in the overjoyed glow they both felt. She’d wondered a hundred times what it would feel like for Sakura to hold her, and it was even better than she’d imagined, with arms that could crush armies wrapped around her; it felt like safety. Sakura pressed her face against Ino’s hair and breathed in the sweet scent of flowers, an aroma more intoxicating to her than any other.

 _Best Valentine’s Day ever,_ they thought.


End file.
